1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to seat assemblies for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a flap for filling a space between a seat assembly and a rear shelf of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automotive vehicle includes a passenger compartment and rows of seat assemblies for supporting passengers within the passenger compartment. Each seat assembly includes a seat cushion and a seat back. It is becoming increasingly common for the seat back in rear seat assemblies to be pivotable relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of seating positions relative to the seat cushion. Typically, the rear seat back abuts a rearwardly positioned package tray or shelf. Sometimes a particular vehicle design, due to packaging constraints and other design criteria, does not allow for a rear seat back to immediately abut the package shelf. This can result in an unsightly gap between the rear seat back and the package shelf that is visible externally.
Japanese Utility Model Open Publication No. 1-14523 attempts to address this problem by providing a flap that is pivotally coupled to a forward edge of the package shelf for movement between a use position filling the gap between the rear seat back and the package shelf and a retracted position folded rearwardly overlying the package shelf. The problem with this design is that a user must always manually operate the flap between the use and retracted positions. Additionally, the use of a pivoting flap introduces unnecessary complexity and cost to the build of the vehicle in an assembly plant.
Therefore, it remains desirable to provide a means of concealing the gap between the rear seat back assembly and the package shelf that does not require manual operation by the user; that is relatively simple and economical over conventional solutions; and accommodates the pivotal movement of the rear seat back.